Persatuan Intelektual Pribumi Sarawak (Perantis) backs the proposal by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas to move the Iban Language Study Centre from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Perak to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).

Its vice president Nelly Tawai and head of women’s movement Robbia Jarup, in a joint statement, said such move could address the critical shortage of Iban language lecturers at UPSI.

“Thanks to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas for his efforts and concern in resolving the shortage of Iban language teachers,” said Nelly and Robbia.

“The Iban language is no longer an ethnic language to be used and spoken by the Iban community alone, but it has developed into one of the languages that can be learned by everyone.

“It is not just a ‘mother tongue’ but also a culture that needs to be preserved, thus the state government’s proposal to establish Iban language courses in any institutions of higher learning in the state is indeed very timely,” they opined.

“Many qualified Iban teachers had applied to become lecturers but due to its location in Perak and family constraints, they had to cancel their intention; whereas many graduates were not selected to continue their studies in that particular field.

“We sincerely hope that the recruitment and offering of Iban language programmes at the higher learning institutions will continue every year to meet the needs of Iban language teachers in the state,” they said.

Adding on, they believed that such initiatives would enable local students to take up learning the language, thereby further improving the standard of the Iban language.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by The Borneo Post

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]